Athol-Royalston Middle School

Summary:

Athol-Royalston Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 5-8 in Athol, Massachusetts, with a student population of 429. The school is part of the Athol-Royalston District, which is ranked 313 out of 351 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Athol-Royalston Middle School consistently underperforms the state average on MCAS Next Generation assessments in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates were significantly lower than the state average, with only 21.53% of students proficient or better in ELA, 16.24% in Math, and 21.03% in Science, compared to the state averages of 39.17%, 40.91%, and 41.95%, respectively. The school also struggles to support the academic achievement of various student subgroups, with rankings for female, male, Hispanic, White, special education, low socioeconomic status, and disabled students all in the bottom quarter of Massachusetts middle schools, and many in the bottom 20%.

When comparing Athol-Royalston Middle School to nearby middle schools, such as Overlook Middle School in the Ashburnham-Westminster district and Quabbin Regional Middle School in the Quabbin district, it becomes clear that the school is underperforming its peers. These nearby schools outperform Athol-Royalston Middle School on MCAS assessments and have higher overall rankings from SchoolDigger, suggesting that more targeted and comprehensive interventions may be necessary to drive meaningful improvements and better serve the needs of Athol-Royalston Middle School's students.


Detail:

Public 5-8

 1062 Pleasant Street
       Athol, MA  01331


(978) 249-2430

District: Athol-Royalston

SchoolDigger Rank:
367th of 493 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,076 Help


Students who attend Athol-Royalston Middle School usually attend:

High:    Athol High

Feeder schools for Athol-Royalston Middle School:

Elementary:    Athol Community Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.8 Help
Number of students:  429

Racial breakdown:

White:
81.6%
Hispanic:
12.1%
Two or more races:
3.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  62.7% Help


 See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

 Compare Athol-Royalston Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Athol-Royalston Middle School ranks worse than 74.4% of middle schools in Massachusetts. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.57. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (81.6%), Hispanic (12.1%), two or more races (3.7%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Athol-Royalston Middle School is 13.8. (See more...)
Help
Compare Athol-Royalston Middle School employs 31 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Athol-Royalston Middle School is $16,076.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Athol-Royalston Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Athol-Royalston Middle School 367th of 493 Massachusetts public middle schools. (See Athol-Royalston Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Athol-Royalston:

SchoolDigger ranks Athol-Royalston 313th of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Athol-Royalston Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Athol-Royalston Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 23.33 273rd 339 19.5%
2004 29.25 268th 344 22.1%
2005 34.53 255th 356 28.4%
2006 28.32 305th 399 23.6%
2007 26.13 315th 399 21.1%
2008 16.42 350th 407 14.0%
2009 26.78 317th 409 22.5%
2010 33.55 312th 434 28.1%
2011 39.91 295th 449 34.3%
2012 27.04 344th 455 24.4%
2013 26.80 346th 455 24.0%
2014 15.87 389th 455 14.5%
2015 15.70 384th 441 12.9%
2016 7.93 456th 482 5.4%
2017 24.63 371st 487 23.8%
2018 24.24 369th 484 23.8%
2019 29.24 362nd 498 27.3%
2021 22.76 384th 501 23.4%
2022 19.68 404th 497 18.7%
2023 25.59 366th 501 26.9%
2024 23.57 367th 493 25.6%
See the entire list of Massachusetts Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Athol-Royalston Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.02 365th 467 21.8%
2019 35.35 329th 484 32.0%
2021 30.19 357th 489 27.0%
2022 27.23 391st 503 22.3%
2023 37.34 240th 444 45.9%
2024 25.06 352nd 441 20.2%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Athol-Royalston Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.62 336th 438 23.3%
2019 37.30 298th 452 34.1%
2021 29.86 346th 462 25.1%
2022 27.22 376th 489 23.1%
2023 32.39 344th 481 28.5%
2024 29.43 342nd 469 27.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Athol-Royalston Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.18 347th 463 25.1%
2019 27.77 361st 478 24.5%
2021 16.37 409th 483 15.3%
2022 20.67 395th 494 20.0%
2023 25.14 362nd 489 26.0%
2024 28.59 332nd 481 31.0%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Athol-Royalston Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.23 252nd 417 39.6%
2019 39.75 226th 424 46.7%
2021 26.81 326th 431 24.4%
2022 25.62 347th 445 22.0%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Athol-Royalston Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.10 381st 466 18.2%
2019 30.89 331st 478 30.8%
2021 28.96 336th 485 30.7%
2022 20.16 407th 497 18.1%
2023 27.28 349th 489 28.6%
2024 19.35 396th 483 18.0%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Tested In Person students at Athol-Royalston Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 22.50 378th 491 23.0%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for Tested Remotely students at Athol-Royalston Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 31.02 234th 339 31.0%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested Remotely Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Athol-Royalston Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 36.28 211th 322 34.5%
2021 49.61 142nd 335 57.6%
2022 29.20 268th 368 27.2%
2023 22.63 309th 364 15.1%
2024 20.84 330th 378 12.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Athol-Royalston Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 13.60 358th 395 9.4%
2019 16.36 348th 396 12.1%
2021 10.19 374th 401 6.7%
2022 9.41 381st 404 5.7%
2023 13.73 364th 403 9.7%
2024 12.70 362nd 392 7.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Athol-Royalston Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 







Data source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
Facebook Profile Picture by a parent on FaceBook
Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Open Quote My son has been going there for three years, because he gets epileptic-seizures he was placed on special education. The teachers don't even try to help him understand the materials given. I know as parent we must do all we can to help our children get the best education they need and yes because I get seizures and was never able to finish school myself Im not the best at it. But I be Damn if I let another year of his life go to waste because of this institution. I placed my trust and my Childs education on this school to help him but he comes home dissatisfied and sad most of the time because they show very little interest in teaching him and because they lack the teaching tools and experience to help him understand the material or homework. I so want to make a difference in my Childs life so that he can excel in school, he is a bright child and talented and he feels like I feel a big let down. Im putting all efforts to bring him to where he wants to be in life not because I see more in him but because he sees more in him then they can. If anyone is having the same issues please write something about your experience maybe is not our children failing school but the school failing our children. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Athol-Royalston Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1993 297 1 2 4 0 n/a n/a 0 304
1994 309 1 3 2 0 n/a n/a 0 315
1995 368 4 2 3 0 n/a n/a 0 377
1996 368 4 2 3 0 n/a n/a 0 377
1997 370 2 1 4 0 n/a n/a 0 377
1998 350 6 5 9 20 n/a n/a 0 390
1999 376 9 10 25 5 n/a n/a 0 425
2000 366 6 1 11 1 n/a n/a 0 385
2001 544 7 3 8 2 n/a n/a 0 564
2002 527 3 5 30 2 n/a n/a 0 567
2003 527 3 5 30 2 n/a n/a 0 567
2004 480 3 8 24 2 n/a n/a 0 517
2005 451 5 7 19 4 n/a n/a 0 486
2006 448 9 2 20 3 n/a n/a 7 489
2007 421 11 3 30 1 n/a n/a 12 478
2008 382 10 4 24 0 n/a n/a 12 432
2009 403 21 1 15 1 0 12 0 453
2010 413 15 2 6 1 1 10 0 448
2011 411 11 5 16 0 1 12 0 456
2012 373 12 3 18 0 1 11 0 418
2013 383 10 5 21 0 0 10 0 429
2014 374 7 5 23 0 0 11 0 420
2015 360 6 1 23 0 0 12 0 402
2016 356 5 1 34 1 0 10 0 407
2017 330 7 0 36 1 0 13 0 387
2018 323 7 3 40 0 0 18 0 391
2019 339 5 4 49 0 0 12 0 409
2020 360 7 8 49 1 0 11 0 436
2021 340 5 8 48 1 0 15 0 417
2022 358 4 5 54 0 0 18 0 439
2023 350 4 7 52 0 0 16 0 429

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Athol-Royalston Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1993 304 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 315 n/a n/a n/a
1995 377 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 377 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 377 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 390 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 425 n/a 0.0 0
2000 385 n/a 0.0 27.3
2001 564 n/a 0.0 31.9
2002 567 n/a n/a 30.7
2003 567 n/a n/a 30.7
2004 517 38.3 13.5 31.9
2005 486 38.0 12.8 38.9
2006 489 37.5 13.0 33.8
2007 478 35.0 13.7 39.5
2008 432 32.5 13.3 46.7
2009 453 33.1 13.7 45
2010 448 35.2 12.7 46.9
2011 456 36.0 12.6 53.5
2012 418 33.0 12.6 50.5
2013 429 27.0 15.8 58.3
2014 420 28.3 14.7 59
2015 402 28.0 14.3 62.7
2016 407 28.0 14.5 n/a
2017 387 30.2 12.8 n/a
2018 391 30.1 12.9 n/a
2019 409 29.3 13.9 n/a
2020 436 30.3 14.3 n/a
2021 417 33.4 12.4 n/a
2022 439 33.0 13.3 n/a
2023 429 31.0 13.8 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Athol-Royalston Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1993 304 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 315 n/a n/a n/a
1995 377 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 377 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 377 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 390 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 425 n/a 0.0 0
2000 385 n/a 0.0 27.3
2001 564 n/a 0.0 31.9
2002 567 n/a n/a 30.7
2003 567 n/a n/a 30.7
2004 517 38.3 13.5 31.9
2005 486 38.0 12.8 38.9
2006 489 37.5 13.0 33.8
2007 478 35.0 13.7 39.5
2008 432 32.5 13.3 46.7
2009 453 33.1 13.7 45
2010 448 35.2 12.7 46.9
2011 456 36.0 12.6 53.5
2012 418 33.0 12.6 50.5
2013 429 27.0 15.8 58.3
2014 420 28.3 14.7 59
2015 402 28.0 14.3 62.7
2016 407 28.0 14.5 n/a
2017 387 30.2 12.8 n/a
2018 391 30.1 12.9 n/a
2019 409 29.3 13.9 n/a
2020 436 30.3 14.3 n/a
2021 417 33.4 12.4 n/a
2022 439 33.0 13.3 n/a
2023 429 31.0 13.8 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Athol-Royalston Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $844 (5.8%) $13,801 (94.2%) $14,645
2020 $778 (5.2%) $14,200 (94.8%) $14,978
2021 $1,535 (9.5%) $14,540 (90.4%) $16,076

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Athol-Royalston Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 362nd of 498 Middle schoolsRanks 366th of 501 Middle schools
 0.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
5th Grade English Language Arts (Athol-Royalston Middle School)2825.8
 2.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Athol-Royalston)3329.8
 3.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5243.8
 8.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Athol-Royalston Middle School)2121.9
 0.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Athol-Royalston)3026.6
 3.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.9
 8.2%
5th Grade Science (Athol-Royalston Middle School)4338.3
 4.7%
   5th Grade Science (Athol-Royalston)4440.5
 3.5%
   5th Grade Science (Massachusetts)4841.6
 6.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Athol-Royalston Middle School)2624.8
 1.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Athol-Royalston)3127.8
 3.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5442.3
 11.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Athol-Royalston Middle School)3219.2
 12.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Athol-Royalston)3822.4
 15.6%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)5141
 10%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Athol-Royalston Middle School)3531.9
 3.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Athol-Royalston)3432.2
 1.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)4840.5
 7.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Athol-Royalston Middle School)4612.4
 33.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Athol-Royalston)4513.5
 31.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4838.1
 9.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Athol-Royalston Middle School)3625
 11%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Athol-Royalston)3524.3
 10.7%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5143.7
 7.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Athol-Royalston Middle School)4031.1
 8.9%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Athol-Royalston)3729.6
 7.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4737.7
 9.3%
8th Grade Science (Athol-Royalston Middle School)2623.3
 2.7%
   8th Grade Science (Athol-Royalston)2623.5
 2.5%
   8th Grade Science (Massachusetts)4640.9
 5.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Athol-Royalston Middle School)3127
 4%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Athol-Royalston)3724.8
 12.3%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5242.3
 9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Athol-Royalston Middle School)3520.6
 14.4%
   All Grades Mathematics (Athol-Royalston)3621.9
 14.1%
   All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.6
 8.4%
All Grades Science (Athol-Royalston Middle School)3531
 4%
   All Grades Science (Athol-Royalston)3732.5
 4.5%
   All Grades Science (Massachusetts)4741.2
 5.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students409429
 4.9%
African American54
 20%
American Indian00
Asian47
 75%
Hispanic4952
 6.1%
Pacific Islander00
White339350
 3.2%
Two or More Races1216
 33.3%


Schools Near Athol-Royalston Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Athol-Royalston Middle School

Students at Athol-Royalston Middle School are 82% White, 12% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 429 students attended Athol-Royalston Middle School.

Athol-Royalston Middle School ranks 367th of 493 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Students who attend Athol-Royalston Middle School usually go on to attend Athol High


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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